


Always Packing Up My Stuff

by jannika



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-03
Updated: 2012-07-03
Packaged: 2017-11-19 17:17:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/575701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jannika/pseuds/jannika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU where Harry and Zayn are roommates and Zayn has resolved that bringing guys home from bars is poor life choice he's not going to make anymore, until Harry takes him out for his birthday and Liam is a guy at a bar. Also featuring Niall as a bartender and Louis as an aspiring actor who puts attractive strangers on his bar tab.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always Packing Up My Stuff

**Author's Note:**

> This exists almost entirely because this [picture](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6fopaxXrp1rx3u98o1_500.jpg) exists (here! Did you want it in [ gif form too?](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6h7l03kDt1qc7idyo1_r1_500.gif)) and I said on tumblr that it looked like an AU where Harry and Zayn where out at bar and Harry was trying to help Zayn pick up Liam. That somehow turned into an AU I needed to write. So. I don’t know. For [](http://folkloric-feel.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://folkloric-feel.livejournal.com/)**folkloric_feel** the Liam to my Zayn. ♥

Zayn finds his favorite shirt crumpled in a ball in the back of his closet, and he thinks that maybe it's a sign he shouldn't go out tonight. He thinks maybe it fell off the hanger deliberately, just to keep him on his couch. It's not a bad idea, really.

"I'm not going," he calls to Harry, who pokes his head in to Zayn's doorway a second later.

"What'd you mean you're not going?" Harry asks. He's only wearing boxers and he's staring at Zayn like he just doesn't understand him at all. Which is kind of an everyday occurrence in their flat, honestly.

"The shirt I wanted to wear is wrinkled, so I can't go," Zayn says, gesturing to the shirt and then crossing his arms. Harry rolls his eyes.

"We have an iron, you know. You also own ten shirts that look just like that. You're going," Harry says.

"We do not have an iron!" Zayn says.

"We do, actually. My mom left it here a few months ago when I was going on all those job interviews," Harry says, smirking.

"Whatever. I'm not going," Zayn says, scowling.

"Yes, you are," Harry says, crossing into Zayn's room.

"I'm not," Zayn repeats. Harry sighs.

"You are. It is your birthday weekend and I am not going to let you just sit here, okay?" Harry says.

"Shouldn't we do what I want on my birthday?" Zayn asks. Harry walks his way into Zayn's personal space and puts his hands on Zayn's bare shoulders.

"I just want to get you something pretty because I like it when you're happy. I can't just pick someone out for you because that's tacky and also possibly prostitution of some sort, and I can't just offer you sexual favors from me because we tried that already and it didn't go well. So. We are going out and you are going to dance with someone and you are going to have fun!" Harry says.

"I don't like dancing," Zayn says, pouting.

"I've seen you dance," Harry throws back, "many times."

"I was drunk," Zayn says.

"So get drunk tonight! I promise you will be thanking me for this later," Harry says. Zayn sighs and shrugs Harry's hands off his shoulders. It's not that he doesn't actually want to go out. He's sure it will be fun and it has been forever since the two of them have gone out like this, and really, it does seem like a good way to celebrate his birthday. He's still just sort of wary and tired from all of his previous attempts at dating. Or, not so much dating, actually. Zayn's past love life is kind of a train wreck. (That night he and Harry had hooked up is actually one of the better things on his track record, and that had been the result of the only fight they've ever had in their four years of friendship. He's fairly sure that normal people don't make up with their friends by sleeping with them, but whatever.) He's always on guard these days, unsure how to make things not go terribly, and lately he's just been hiding instead of trying. Harry keeps trying to tell him this is the attitude of a bitter forty-year-old and offering to buy him cats.

"Fine," Zayn says, agreeing, because he knows Harry has a point. Staying home does make him feel old, and hey. It is his birthday. Maybe things will turn out better than they normally do.

"It will be fun!" Harry enthuses.

"I'll need to wear something of yours, though," Zayn says.

"From the things of mine that are already in your closet, or did you want to come to my room and pick?" Harry asks, poking Zayn's chest as he does.

"I only have like, two shirts of yours in here, and that one hat!" Zayn protests.

"That is my blazer on the back of your chair!" Harry says, gesturing.

"Oh," Zayn says blushing a little, "whatever. I need something of yours."

"Come on then," Harry says, pulling on Zayn's hand and tugging him down the hall and into his room.

**

For Harry, this bar actually looks pretty tame, and Zayn is grateful for that. The music isn't shaking the floors too much, and no one appears to be shirtless or anything yet, and people are holding drinks that are normal colored, and there isn't a caged dancer in site. Really, there doesn't look to be anything Zayn can't handle. He grabs Harry's arm after they show their IDs at the door and Harry beams at him.

"Let's go see if we can get you, like, a free birthday shot!" Harry says, steering them towards the bar. It's not too crowded yet, and no one looks all that drunk yet either, so they make it up without being shoved too many times at all, and Harry puts on his best grin for the bartender, a blonde guy with a bright smile.

"What can I do for you?" the bartender asks.

"I like your accent," Harry says, "It's my friend here's birthday, is there anything in the way of free alcohol you can do for him?"

"Normally no, but since you complimented me, I'll see what I can do," the bartender says, grinning at them.

"Where're you from?" Zayn asks, reminding himself that he's supposed to be being social.

"Mullingar," the guy says, "I'm Niall, by the way."

"Well, I'm Harry, and the birthday boy here is Zayn," Harry says, reaching out to shake Niall's hand.

"What can I get you to drink, Zayn and Harry?" Niall says, and he's just beaming at them now and reaching out to shake Zayn's hand, too.

"What's your specialty?" Harry asks.

"It varies," Niall says, shrugging.

"How about you make us whatever it is tonight?" Harry says. Niall grins again and turns around, grabbing some bottles and glasses.

"Do you have to hit on everyone?" Zayn hisses at Harry.

"I'm just friendly!" Harry says. Niall turns back around with their drinks and sets them down, looking pleased.

"An extra shot for the birthday boy," he says. Zayn picks up his drink and sips it gingerly. It's sweet, whatever it is, and Harry nudges his knee, urging him on. He takes a larger gulp and smiles at Niall because it occurs to him he should probably thank him.

"It's good, thank you," Zayn says.

"I know," Niall says. Zayn takes another gulp, watching as Harry downs his all at once.

"Good stuff," Harry says, and Niall grins again. He's flagged down by other customers so he nods to Zayn and Harry.

"I'll be right back, guys," Niall says, heading toward the other patrons.

"I like him," Harry says.

"You like everyone," Zayn shoots back.

"Not true," Harry says, "finish your drink so we can have more."

"It is, and I am," Zayn says, taking another large gulp, leaving only a tiny sip of his drink at the bottom. Harry swishes around the ice in his glass and studies Zayn for a minute.

"I'll keep an eye on you, you know," Harry says. Zayn throws back the last bit of his drink and nods because he knows what Harry means and he's grateful for that, too. He bites back a comment about how much better he holds his alcohol than Harry, even though it's true, because it doesn't actually matter. Even ridiculously drunk, Harry still retains that whole wise thing he has going for him, and even drunk he has kept Zayn from doing stupid things before. Not that Zayn needs babysat or anything, he just has some bad habits he's trying to break, and Harry knows it, and Harry is a good friend who will stop him without them ever having to talk about it. It's good.

"I know," Zayn says. He glances around the bar, watches Niall laughing with people who seem to be a couple, before his eyes fall on a ridiculously attractive guy with light brown hair and big eyes sitting in the corner. The ice in the drink in front of him looks like it's melting a little, like he's been nursing this drink for a long time, and he's just sort of staring around, looking out of his element.

"Well that's not your usual type," Harry says, following Zayn's eyes and grinning, like he approves.

"That’s probably a good thing," Zayn says, blushing and maybe staring, just a little.

"He has a very serious sort of face. I like him already," Harry says.

"Yes, but as I said, you like everyone," Zayn says. Niall walks back over then, smirking.

"So I shouldn't feel special, then?" he asks, obviously having overheard Zayn.

"You should feel very special," Harry says.

"You guys ready for more? Do you want a tab?" Niall asks.  
"Put them on mine," a voice Zayn doesn't recognize says. He looks up to see a guy in suspenders who blatantly undressing Harry with his eyes. Harry sort of shivers a little next to him, and Zayn bites back a grin.

"Who are you?" Zayn asks.

"I'm Louis," the guy says, stepping closer and beaming.

"I'm Harry," Harry says, flushing a little.

"Zayn," Zayn says.

"You two aren't together, are you? Because that would ruin my whole night, unless, of course, you're into sharing," Louis says, planting himself on Harry's lap as he says it, as if they've all known each other for more than 45 seconds.

"We're not," Zayn confirms.

"Good," Louis says, "I was serious about you being on my tab, by the way. I'm celebrating. You two should join me."

"We're celebrating too," Harry says.

"Oh yeah? What?" Louis asks.

"It's Zayn's birthday!" Harry says.

"Is it? Well, happy birthday!" Louis says, and then he reaches out and kisses Zayn on the forehead while still sitting on Harry's lap. Zayn is pretty sure he should hate this guy instantly, but he doesn't, at all. In fact, he already really likes him, which is weird.

"Thanks," Zayn says, giggling a little as Niall sets three drinks down in front of them.

"What are you celebrating?" Harry asks.

"I was in a commercial, and today they sent me a very large check for it, most of which I plan to waste tonight, because not only did they send me a check, but I'm lined up to do several more," Louis says.

"You're like a celebrity, then," Harry says.

"I absolutely am," Louis says.

"He's not really," Niall puts in.

"Niall! Don't ruin it! It's working!" Louis says, and the two of them grin at each other in a way Zayn assumes means they're friends, or at the very least that Louis is a regular. Possibly both.

"What's working?" Zayn asks.

Louis smirks at him and leans forward again to stage whisper in his ear, "I’m trying to seduce your friend. How do you think I'm doing?"

"Hard to say," Zayn says, "it has only been about five minutes."

"Fair enough," Louis says, running his hands along Zayn's legs as he pulls back. Zayn takes another gulp of his drink and smiles, the tiniest first warmth of a buzz starting in his head.

"You should put that guy over there on your tab too, for Zayn," Harry says, gesturing over to the guy in the corner. Zayn shakes his head. He's always a little amazed by how bold Harry is, how unapologetic he is about the things he wants. Zayn feels like he apologizes every moment of every day. It never even seems to occur to Harry that he should.

"Liam?" Niall says, following Harry's gesture.

"You know him?" Harry asks.

"Liam's my best friend," Niall says.

"Hey!" Louis says, looking wounded. Niall rolls his eyes and ignores him.

"He's only here because I work here, it's the only bar I've ever seen him come to. I make him come out once a month or so. It's good for him," Niall says, then he studies Zayn, "you could work."

"I'm," Zayn starts, but then he doesn't really know how to finish it so he lets it go.

"Tell him to come join us," Louis says, grinning.

"Okay," Niall says, shrugging. He nods and heads over, to Liam, passing a beer to a customer as he does.

"Now it's like a got you a present!" Louis says.

"I don't. But," Zayn gets out, finishing his second drink in one long gulp.

"It's just drinks, Zayn. Just have fun," Harry says. Zayn nods and gulps a little as Liam comes over, looking even more lost than he had before.

"Hi there! We're celebrating because I'm famous and it's Zayn's birthday! Did you want to celebrate with us?" Louis asks, tugging on Liam and pulling him. Zayn grabs a bar stole and pulls it over toward them, gesturing for Liam to sit.

"Um, sure?" Liam says, "you're famous?"

"He does commercials," Harry says, his tone proud, as if Louis is someone he's known forever.

"Oh," Liam says, then turns to Zayn. "Um. Happy birthday?"

"Thanks," Zayn says, grinning. _You can do this_ , he tells himself, and he gives Liam the best smile he can and reaches gratefully for the round Niall has set in front of them.

**

Four drinks in they start dancing, all four of them together but mostly Harry with Louis and Zayn with Liam, and Zayn just sort of lets himself enjoy it, the feeling of whatever it is Niall has made them running through his whole body and making him feel like it's okay to dance, just a little, and to flirt with Liam- much more than a little. They haven't really talked about anything at all- Zayn has no idea what Liam does, if he works or if he's still in school, he has no idea where Liam lives or if he lives alone. He has no idea of anything at all, really, except that Liam has a really nice laugh and that they both like to watch terrible sci-fi movies at 2am when they can't sleep. (Louis had looked up from Harry for long enough at that point to contest that he was pretty sure 2am was for porn. Liam had turned very adorably red while he laughed at that, and it had given Zayn this stupid hope that this all might turn out like he wants for once.)

"Niall said you don't come out much," Zayn says.

"I don't," Liam says, "this isn't really my thing. It's good sometimes, though."

"Yeah? Like when?" Zayn asks, and it's shameless but he doesn't care.

"Like now," Liam says, blushing. Zayn grins.

"I don't come out a lot either," Zayn says, "anymore, anyway."

"Why not?" Liam asks.

"I think I'm getting too old," Zayn says. Liam laughs.

"I doubt that," He says.

"I don't know, I think it would be awesome if I could meet people while on my couch," Zayn says, and he leaves out the part about how he's not always so good with meeting people in general, and the part about how this used to be much more his scene, because Liam doesn't need to know that.

"If you could…teleport dates in?" Liam asks.

"That's a really good idea, actually," Zayn says.

"You could prescreen people, and then just click them into your living room," Liam says.

"And challenge them to a video game or have them watch a movie marathon," Zayn says.

"Right! And if they didn't get a pop culture reference or got on your nerves or smelled bad you could just click them away again!" Liam says.

"Someone should really work on that," Zayn says, and he sort of sways his hips into Liam's as he says it. Liam gulps.

"It would revolutionize dating," Liam says.

"It would," Zayn agrees. He's half tempted to ask Liam to come home to his couch, but he stops himself, because tonight is a night for good decisions, not moving too fast and ruining things with boys who seem like they might possibly stick around. Maybe.

"This is fun, though," Liam says, making a small gesture with his hand.

"Yeah," Zayn says.

"I um, I like your tattoos," Liam says, as if he's been working up the courage to say it for the past hour so. It's unfairly endearing, really.

"Yeah?" Zayn asks, "thanks."

"Yeah," Liam says.

"Do you have any?" Zayn asks. Liam shakes his head.

"No," he says, "I'm boring."

"I don't think you're boring," Zayn says, and he reaches out tugs Liam in a little closer at that, to prove his point. Liam swallows hard, and it makes Zayn want to lick his neck. Good choices require an annoying amount of will power, and he has to glance down at the floor for a second to stop himself.

"I am, though," Liam says.

"I doubt it. Tell me something interesting about you," Zayn says, looking back up.

"Like what?" Liam says.

"I don't know, tell me one thing you like and one thing you don't," Zayn suggests. Liam scrunches up his face a little.

"Okay, I like to sing and I don't like spoons?" he says. Zayn stares at him for a moment, not sure what to jump in on first.

"Spoons?" he says, because as much as he wants to know about the singing, he's never heard anyone claim to dislike silverware before.

"I don't like them. I don't use them at restaurants," Liam says. Zayn quirks an eyebrow.

"Spoons," he repeats. Liam blushes.

"They kind of freak me out," he says. Zayn giggles at that, he can't help himself, and Liam blushes again, and God, Zayn really sort of likes him a lot already.

"But you do like singing?" he asks.

"I do," Liam says.

"You wanna show me?" Zayn asks, gesturing towards the karaoke machine and stage. Liam gulps again.

**

"I'm warning you, if you don't already want in his pants, this is going to seal the deal," Niall says as Zayn, Harry and Louis sit back down at the bar and wait for Liam to take the stage.

"He's good?" Louis asks.

"He's fantastic," Niall says, then he shoots Zayn a glance, "at the risk of being cliché, if you're terrible to him you can never come back to my bar again, you know that, right?"

"I wouldn't," Zayn says, feeling his face flush.

"Zayn's good," Harry says. He's on Louis' lap this time, and the two of them have tangled themselves up in each other, running their hands everywhere they possibly can. Part of Zayn thinks he should be a little worried about that, but then Harry has always had better taste than he has. Better judgment. If Harry falls for someone it's never too fast because they always fall for him too. With Harry's luck, Louis is probably, like, the love of his life or something.

Liam takes the stage then, and the second he opens his mouth the entire bar goes still and silent, everyone just listening, because Niall wasn't wrong. Liam is fantastic, and Zayn cannot look away, not even for a second. Liam keeps pushing his hair back behind his ears like he's nervous, but his voice sounds like he has all the confidence in the world. Zayn wants to move into Liam's voice, pack his things and live there and let it surround him forever. He thinks Harry would understand.

The crowd breaks into applause when he's done, and Liam flushes again and bows a little and speed walks off stage. He reaches for a stool when he reaches them, but Louis tugs on him and says, "you should share with Zayn. It is his birthday." Liam doesn't seem to know how to argue with that, and Zayn reaches out and pulls Liam back and onto his lap by his hips. He wills himself not to think about just how well Liam fits on his lap.

"You're amazing," he says in Liam's ear, watching him turn pink again.

"Yeah?" Liam asks.

"Definently," Zayn says.

"You're a singer, then?" Louis asks.

"Not really. I just. For fun," Liam says.

"You're good enough to make a real go at it," Louis says.

"I keep telling him that," Niall says, appearing with another round of drinks.

"It's so hard, though, and I'm not that good," Liam says.

"You are," Zayn says.

"Yeah," Harry says, "you're just like Zayn."

"What?" Liam asks.

"Zayn draws," Harry says, "but he's got a proper day job."

"Day jobs are horrid, awful things," Louis says, nodding solemnly.

"You draw?" Liam asks, turning his head to face Zayn.

"A little," Zayn says.

"Lies!" Harry scoffs. Zayn ignores him.

"You should show me, sometime," Liam says.

"It's nothing special," Zayn says.

"I sang for you. It's only fair," Liam says.

"He makes an excellent point," Louis says, grinning at them.

"I guess, if you wanted," Zayn says, then shifts on his seat. "I need a cigarette. I'm gonna step outside for a minute, yeah?" he says.

"I'll come," Liam offers, "if you want."

"Okay," Zayn says, but he knows he's beaming.

**

It's gotten cold outside, the night air making him wish he'd grabbed a jacket or something, and Liam sort of shivers too as Zayn lights his cigarette.

"Did you want?" Zayn asks. Liam shakes his head.

"No," Liam says.

"You didn't have to come stand in the cold with me," Zayn says, inhaling.

"I wanted to," Liam says. He just sort of watches as Zayn smokes, and it's kind of nice, the silence, the feeling of Liam's eyes, the way the cold air is making him think just a little clearer.

"Don't let me drink anymore when we go back in," Zayn says as he finishes his cigarette and stomps it out with his boot.

"Why not?" Liam asks. There several answers for that, but Zayn goes for the simplest and the most direct.

"Because I want to remember you," he says. Liam flushes and gulps again.

"Oh," he says, "I shouldn't drink anymore either."

"No?" Zayn asks.

"No. I don't drink all that much, not just because I don't go out. I have to be careful," Liam says.

"Why?" Zayn asks.

"Only one of my kidneys works," Liam says.

"Is that dangerous?" Zayn asks.

"I mean, I’m fine, you know? But I need to be careful," Liam says.

"Right," Zayn says.

"So we can go back in and not drink together," Liam says. Zayn reaches out and tugs Liam in by the belt loops, just breathing him in for a second.

"Sounds good," he says. Liam's fingers are idly tracing a tattoo on Zayn's forearm, and Zayn shudders, just a little, and then drops Liam's belt loops and leads him back inside before they get carried away.

**

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Harry says, maybe slurs a little, draping his arm over Zayn when they walk back in the room. Louis shoots a questioning raised eyebrow at Zayn, who shrugs.

"Liam and I can bond while you're gone. We'll discuss how terrible Niall is for not introducing us before now," Louis says.

"I heard that," Niall calls. Louis smirks. Harry pulls on Zayn and tugs him off to a mostly empty corner.

"What?" Zayn says, even though he thinks he knows what's coming.

"We're having a check point," Harry says.

"A check point," Zayn repeats.

"Yes. I told you I'd watch you," Harry says.

"I'm cutting myself off, and I really like him," Zayn says. Harry nods.

"I can tell," he says.

"I'm okay, really," Zayn says. Harry bites his lip like he's trying to work out what to say.

"I just like when you're happy," Harry says, repeating what he'd said earlier. It's a thing he says a lot, actually, ever since the night of their only fight and the sex that had followed. Zayn sometimes thinks he says it as a reminder, so that they both always know that all the reasons for their fight still exist, even if they wouldn't say them to each other again. In some ways Zayn thinks that it's good- it's probably the reason they've only hooked up once. The reminder helps when they're snuggled on the couch watching reality TV reruns and just for a minute Zayn thinks it would be so easy to just settle into that forever. But then he remembers, and he thinks that while their friendship is always one of the best choices he's ever made, a relationship would be one of the worst.

(He doesn't remember what started the fight, really, some ex of Zayn's being a dick, possibly, and Harry not getting a job he'd gone out for, something enough to make them both angry. To make them both take things out on each other. Harry had called Zayn bitter and said he didn't think Zayn even wanted to be happy. Zayn had called Harry naïve, he'd told him he couldn't change the world just by yelling at it. Harry accused Zayn of not trying to change things, of just running away hoping they'd be better wherever he landed. Zayn had accused Harry of not knowing what real problems even were. It had been bad and they'd both been hurt and they'd both felt awful for hurting each other. It is not something Zayn ever, ever wants them to repeat.)

"I know," Zayn says. Harry nods.

"Be careful?" he says.

"You too," Zayn says.

Harry blushes. "How fast do you think it's possible to fall in love with someone?" he asks. Zayn groans, just a little.

"What, like love at first sight?" Zayn asks.

"At first touch, maybe?" Harry says. He looks hopeful, like he really wants Zayn to say he thinks it's possible that Louis is his soulmate or something.

"I like when you're happy too, you know, and you look happy," Zayn says. Harry beams.

"Maybe tonight is one of those nights," he says, "you know, like one of those nights that changes our lives."

"This isn't a movie," Zayn says, even if some small part of him agrees.

"It could be," Harry says, which doesn't actually make much sense as a come back at all, but Zayn just laughs.

"Are we done check pointing?" he asks.

"Did I make you promise you'll be careful yet?" Harry asks.

"No, but I promise. Can we go back now?" Zayn asks. Harry grins and practically skips back over to Louis.

**

They're dancing so close that every beat of the song brings a brush of Liam's skin against Zayn's. He's having a very hard time focusing on anything but that feeling. Luckily, Liam doesn't seem to mind at all. Niall's yelled out for last call, and people are starting to dwindle, and he thinks Harry and Louis might be having sex in the bathroom. He doesn't want the night to end, doesn't want Liam to ever be any further from him than he is right now.

"Did you, after tonight, did you want to," Zayn stops and shakes his head a little and reminds himself about good decisions and taking things slow.

"Yes," Liam says.

"I didn't finish asking," Zayn says, raising an eyebrow.

"Doesn't matter," Liam says, "Yes. I can cover cab fare, unless you're close enough to walk."

"What?" Zayn asks, thrown a little.

"I. To get to your place? I thought, I mean, I thought you were asking me? I thought we were, all night, kind of leading to that?" Liam says. Zayn swallows.

"Oh," he says. He is pretty sure there is no one on earth with the will power to resist that.

"I mean, oh God, unless you didn't? But you stopped drinking, and I thought? And the way we're dancing? And I mean, shit! Did I invite myself to your place? I'm sorry, I mean, we can go back to my place, unless you don't want to at all," Liam says, all one long ramble.

"I want," Zayn says, because God, he does.

"Oh," Liam says, letting out a deep breath.

"I just," Zayn starts, then he stops and bites his lip. Liam is clearly not a one night stand sort of guy, and Zayn is certain he's not going to wake up tomorrow alone in bed and feeling like an idiot.

"Just?" Liam prompts.

"I normally date assholes," Zayn says, "I have shit taste, but you're… the opposite of what I'm used to," Zayn says. Liam puts a hand on Zayn's face.

"I was hoping," he says, slow and thoughtful, "that if I came home with you tonight we could get breakfast in the morning, and maybe dinner the night after that, because I'd like to spend as much time with you as you'd let me," Liam finishes. Zayn flushes, and leans in and he kisses Liam the ways he's wanted to all night, and Liam sort of falls into him, and their arms tangle around each other. He thinks he should be worried about this, thinks he's pretty sure he put meeting guys at bars on his list of bad life choices for a reason, but there is nothing about Liam that feels like a bad choice at all. In fact, everything about Liam feels so good that all he can do is trust it and keep kissing him.

**

The next morning he wakes up with Liam in his arms and a fantastic smell coming from the kitchen, and he smiles to himself and kisses Liam's forehead. Liam's eyes blink open at that.

"Morning," he says, smiling.

"Hey," Zayn says, "Sleep well?"

"Better than I have in a long time," Liam says, tilting his head so he can kiss Zayn. It's kind of wonderful, honestly.

"Me too," Zayn admits against Liam's lips.

"What smells good?" Liam asks.

"We could go find out," Zayn says. Liam nods, but it takes them a few more minutes and several more kisses to actually get out of bed. They throw some shirts and sweatpants of Zayn's on and head out toward the kitchen.

"Morning, love birds!" Louis says, sitting on the couch with Niall. "Harry's making pancakes with chocolate in them!" Zayn blinks at them.

"Niall?" he asks.

"I slept on your couch," Niall says, shrugging.

"Why?" Zayn asks. "Not that I mind. But why?"

"Louis said it was a good idea? And you live closer to the bar than me. And we're all friends now, right?" Niall says.

"Right!" Harry calls from the kitchen.

"Sit and wait for food, it's Friends reruns, Li," Niall says, scooting over the couch to make way for Liam and Zayn.

"Do we have any powdered sugar?" Harry yells.

"Why would I possibly know that if you don't?" Zayn calls back.

"You're no help at all!" Harry says. Zayn shrugs and sits down. Liam sits down next to him and puts his head on Zayn's shoulder. Zayn pulls him and grins. It's slightly ridiculous because he's just met these people, but sitting on the couch like this, his arm around Liam, Niall and Louis bantering, and Harry cooking, Zayn kind of feels like it would be okay if this was his life forever.

"You're going to show me your art later, right?" Liam whispers in Zayn's ear, making him blush as Harry brings out plates of pancakes that Niall takes one look at and says,

"Oh god, forget Louis, I think I'm in love with you," which makes Louis smacks him with a pillow and Harry laughs and blushes a little, and yes. Zayn could absolutely get used to this.  



End file.
